Learn to Find the Big Ideas!

Categorizing information according to specific attributes is a key critical thinking skill in third grade. By sorting and grouping key facts about Martin Luther King Jr., students will develop this skill while they celebrate Dr. King’s life. Try this simple, yet comprehensive activity on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (or any day of the year!) and your third grader is sure to remember the reason we celebrate this important person.

What You Need:

sticky notes

pencil

marker

flat surface (wall, refrigerator, poster board)

library books about Martin Luther King Jr.

What You Do:

1. Begin this activity about 1-2 weeks before Martin Luther King Jr. Day (or as soon as your child brings home school assignments about his life). After school each day, ask your child to recall facts she learned about Martin Luther King Jr. Students should write one fact per sticky note and stick them to the poster board. Facts may include information about Dr. King’s birthplace, childhood, family, education, rise to leadership, famous speeches, and marches/civil protests/rallies. Remind your child to write and post facts daily.

2. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, read through the sticky notes with your child. Challenge her to determine the big ideas or categories in the group of sticky notes, and write them horizontally along the top of the poster board. For example, if she reads a note about Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, she should create a category called “Famous Speeches”. Next, she should find all the other sticky notes that tell about famous speeches and stick them under the big idea. Continue in this way until she has several big ideas and sticky notes sorted under them.